Jeep owners should park outside pending recall fix, US agency says (updated)

Samsung SDI

01/10/2024 18:06

(Adds more details on 2023 recall, background, incidents in
paragraphs 4-11)
    By David Shepardson
       WASHINGTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration said owners of 154,000 Jeep
plug-in hybrid electric SUVs should park outside and away from
buildings or other vehicles until they get recall repairs
completed.
    Jeep-parent Stellantis  STLAM.MI  on Monday said it was
recalling 194,000 Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee plug-in
hybrids worldwide - including 154,000 in the United States -
after reports of 13 fires. NHTSA said there have been two
injuries reported to date that may be tied to the recall issue.
    The affected vehicles were built with a high voltage battery
that may fail internally, NHTSA said. Stellantis said the
battery pack was produced by Samsung SDI  006400.KS . Samsung
SDI told Stellantis in August the most likely root cause of the
issue is "separator damage combined with other complex
interactions within the cell," according to Stellantis' NHTSA
filing.
    The recall follows a 2023 callback of 32,000 Jeep Wrangler
plug-in hybrids for a software update. Stellantis said some
vehicles experienced fires in the summer of 2024 that had
received the 2023 recall software update.
    Stellantis said it determined the 2023 recall remedy "is
ineffective at detecting certain abnormalities" within the
battery that could lead to a fire.
    Stellantis' recall remedy is a software reflash followed by
a battery replacement if needed and it will notify owners in
mid-October, it said.
    The company said vehicle risk is reduced when the battery
charge level is depleted and said owners are advised to refrain
from recharging. The company said a remedy is imminent.    
    The new recall includes some 2020 through 2024 model year
Jeep Wranglers and 2022 through 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee plug-in
hybrids.
    The Chrysler-parent company said the fires occurred when the
vehicles were parked and turned off. It estimates 5% of affected
vehicles may have the defect.  
    The recall includes 154,000 vehicles in the United States,
14,000 in Canada, 700 in Mexico and nearly 26,000 outside North
America.

 (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Franklin Paul and
Mark Potter)
 ((David.Shepardson@thomsonreuters.com; 2028988324;))